Piaggio Ape E-City battery recycling in Chakan, Maharashtra
Pune — Chakan Industrial Recovery Campus takes whole Piaggio Ape E-City packs straight from fleets, dealers and workshops. Packs are weighed, de-energised and logged here before modules move on for grading or refining.
Pack value at 80% SOH
256 USD
Hybrid Split
Second-life share
56%
At 80% SOH
Site capacity
24,000 TPA
Integrated Recovery Campus
Cities served
12
From Chakan, Maharashtra
Where a Piaggio Ape E-City pack goes from Chakan, Maharashtra
- 1
Intake at Chakan, Maharashtra
Packs are palletised in small groups inside UN-rated boxes, with dividers between units. Each pack is weighed, photographed and discharged below 30% state of charge.
- 2
Graded at Pithampur, Madhya Pradesh
Modules travel 468 km to Indore — Pithampur Grading Plant for capacity, resistance and impedance testing across all 4 modules.
- 3
Second life at Butibori, Maharashtra
At 80% SOH about 56% of the pack qualifies for reuse and goes to Nagpur — Butibori Second-Life Works (583 km). Excellent — long calendar life makes LFP the preferred feedstock for stationary BESS repurposing.
- 4
Refined at Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu
Remaining modules are shredded to black mass and refined at Chennai — Sriperumbudur Recovery Campus, 916 km away.
| Stage | Facility | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Nearest grading bench | Indore — Pithampur Grading Plant | 468 km |
| Nearest second-life works | Nagpur — Butibori Second-Life Works | 583 km |
| Nearest refinery | Chennai — Sriperumbudur Recovery Campus | 916 km |
Inside the Piaggio Ape E-City battery
The Piaggio Ape E-City (2021) carries a 8 kWh LFP Prismatic (LiFePO4) pack with 4 modules at 60 V, weighing roughly 59 kg. Cobalt-free prismatic chemistry dominant in Indian passenger EVs and commercial fleets. Low black mass value, exceptional second-life economics.
| Service year | SOH | Grade | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 2 | 96.8% | A — BESS ready | USD 422 |
| Year 4 | 93.7% | A — BESS ready | USD 409 |
| Year 6 | 90.6% | A — BESS ready | USD 396 |
| Year 8 | 87.5% | A — BESS ready | USD 383 |
| Year 10 | 84.4% | B — Second life | USD 336 |
What the chemistry means here
How it ages
LFP fades slowly and fairly linearly for most of its life. Capacity loss is driven mainly by lithium inventory being locked up in the SEI layer on the graphite anode, while the cathode structure stays largely intact.
Thermal behaviour
LFP's olivine cathode holds its oxygen tightly, so thermal runaway typically starts at higher temperatures than nickel-rich cells and releases noticeably less heat. It is not inert: a failing LFP cell still vents flammable electrolyte vapour and hydrogen, and large prismatic cans store a lot of energy in one place.
Handling LFP Prismatic
Collecting a Piaggio Ape E-City pack
8 kWh, 4 modules, about 59 kg — this is how the Chakan, Maharashtra team plans the job.
Removal
Packs are removed from the under-seat or rear bay; high-cycle fleet packs are checked for water ingress first.
Packaging
Packs are palletised in small groups inside UN-rated boxes, with dividers between units.
Consolidation
Fleet depots and dealer service points are scheduled as recurring milk runs rather than one-off pickups.
Before the truck arrives
- Check for corrosion and water ingress in the pack bay
- Flag any aftermarket or repaired packs on the manifest
- Tape terminals and remove quick-connect plugs
- Group packs by chemistry before collection
Chakan, Maharashtra site notes
- Suppliers inside Chakan MIDC can join a milk-run collection on fixed weekly days instead of booking one-off pickups.
- Segregate production scrap by chemistry and label it by cell format; mixed loads are re-sorted and take longer to settle.
- Car and two-wheeler pallets can be unloaded by forklift; bus and truck packs need advance notice so lifting gear is ready.
- Damaged units go straight to a thermally monitored quarantine store and are processed on a separate schedule.
What this pack yields
lithium
0.59 kg
nickel
0 kg
cobalt
0 kg
manganese
0 kg
copper
1.79 kg
aluminium
2.14 kg
Refining-route estimate at 80% SOH. Measured module health on the bench sets the final split.
Rules in India
Battery Waste Management Rules 2022 (BWMR)
Regulator: Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and State Pollution Control Boards
The campus holds Maharashtra Pollution Control Board consent to operate as a battery waste processor and issues recovery evidence for producers under the CPCB EPR framework set by the Battery Waste Management Rules 2022. Shredding and black mass handling carry additional dust, effluent and fire-safety conditions tied to the MIDC plot, and outgoing black mass travels with assay and custody records.
Piaggio Ape E-City in Chakan, Maharashtra: common questions
Can I drop off a Piaggio Ape E-City battery at Chakan, Maharashtra?
Yes, by appointment. Pune — Chakan Industrial Recovery Campus accepts whole Piaggio Ape E-City packs; book a collection or a drop-off slot so the site can prepare packaging and paperwork.
What happens to Piaggio Ape E-City modules after Chakan, Maharashtra?
Intake at Chakan, Maharashtra, then Graded at Pithampur, Madhya Pradesh, then Second life at Butibori, Maharashtra, then Refined at Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu. At 80% SOH roughly 56% of the pack goes to second life and the rest is refined.
How should a Piaggio Ape E-City pack be prepared for pickup?
Check for corrosion and water ingress in the pack bay. Flag any aftermarket or repaired packs on the manifest. Tape terminals and remove quick-connect plugs. Group packs by chemistry before collection.
Which rules apply to Piaggio Ape E-City recycling in India?
Battery Waste Management Rules 2022 (BWMR), overseen by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and State Pollution Control Boards. Retired packs move as hazardous goods by road under central motor vehicle rules, and export needs Basel-compliant permissions.
Cities collected by Chakan, Maharashtra
Piaggio Ape E-City at other sites
Other three-wheeler packs at Chakan, Maharashtra
Retiring Piaggio Ape E-City packs near Chakan, Maharashtra?
Share pack counts and condition. The despatch desk confirms a collection window within one working day and sends the right packaging.